Pouncey In The Middle Of Offensive Line Rebuild

Pro Bowl center looks to have the offensive line jell as a unit as soon as possible.

Mike Pouncey likely will have a whole new set of teammates starting on the Dolphins offensive line in 2014, and he’s anxious to start the process of building some cohesiveness.

“Just to (want to) jell as an offensive line as soon as possible,” Pouncey said during an appearance on The Finsiders Tuesday. “It’s going to be all five new guys on the offensive line (together). I just can’t wait to get out on the practice field, see how everybody is on the football field. Just being around those guys is going to be a real pleasure this year.”

The rebuilding of the offensive line began in style at the start of free agency when the Dolphins signed tackle Branden Albert from the Kansas City Chiefs.

Like Pouncey, Albert is coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance. Albert said in a recent appearance on The Finsiders that one of the main attractions in signing with the Dolphins was the opportunity to play with Pouncey.

“You’ve got to have a great center to be a great offensive line and to be a great left tackle you’ve got to have a guy that’s going to point you in the right direction,” Albert said. “I know he takes the job seriously and that’s something I’m very excited about and it’s like — what can I say, what do they call that? — a man crush because I know what type of player he is.”

Make no mistake, there’s mutual admiration there.

“I’ve been friends with BA for a while now,” Pouncey said. “I had the pleasure of playing with him in the Pro Bowl this past season. He’s a great guy. He’s a great football player. I’m glad he’s a part of our team.”

Another newcomer on the Dolphins offensive line is guard Shelley Smith, who came over from the St. Louis Rams.

“Shelley, I told him he can’t get any tattoos, because we kind of look just alike,” Pouncey said, laughing. “I told him, I don’t need anybody getting us confused out there.”

Tackle Jason Fox, signed as a free agent after he spent four seasons with the Detroit Lions, is another offensive lineman the Dolphins picked up in the offseason.

Pouncey, however, is hoping the Dolphins don’t stop there. Pouncey will be following the 2014 NFL draft and he’d love nothing better than for Miami to take an offensive lineman with the 19th pick in the first round.

“I love college football,” Pouncey said. “It’s very exciting, so I love to see all the guys that I really like watching during college football season get drafted. I’ll be looking forward to us picking at our position and see who we pick up. Hopefully it’s a lineman.

“Anywhere on the offensive line.”

As he prepares to head into his fourth NFL season, Pouncey already is firmly established as one of the best centers in the league.

The Dolphins obviously know what they have in Pouncey, which is why on Tuesday they announced they had picked up the option for the fifth year of the original contract he signed after being the 15th overall pick in the 2011 draft.

The move ensures that Pouncey will be in a Dolphins uniform through at least the 2015 season.

Even though the Dolphins have a new offensive coordinator in Bill Lazor, Pouncey says he doesn’t expect his role to change one bit.

“I sat down and had the pleasure to talk to Coach Bill Lazor,” Pouncey said. “He kind of said that every center that he’s played with so far has been the guy that made all the calls up front, so he’s looking forward to me doing that this offseason.”

For his part, Pouncey is looking to work.

Pouncey is one of the most outgoing players on the Dolphins, but he’s all business when it comes to his craft.

“One thing I can pride myself on is my work ethic,” he said. “If I miss a day of workouts, it sits in the back of my mind. So I work out every day. … As soon as the Pro Bowl was over, I started training getting ready for this season. It’s a big year for me and this football team.”